


What is lost, can always be found

by strawberrylovely



Category: Shallurance - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Shiro (Voltron), Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Light Angst, Lost Love, M/M, Multi, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Polyamory, Post-War, Pre-War, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 05:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19100335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylovely/pseuds/strawberrylovely
Summary: When the Galra attack the castle, Lance runs to find Shiro, but ends up being lost himself. Shiro and Allura must figure out what to do now that they're trapped without the person they love most, and whether he's truly lost from them forever.





	What is lost, can always be found

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Confused-Bird (DoomedTimeline)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedTimeline/gifts).



> Hello this fic is long overdue to my friend, Bird. I'm so sorry it's taken so long, but I hope I did this justice and that you enjoy it all the same. <3

When Allura and Lance were 8 years old, they were betrothed to be wed when the time came, and become the next in line for the Altean throne. Allura’s parents being the King and Queen, and Lance’s father as their right hand, the fit was perfect, and not even Lance or Allura could attest. They grew up together, after all, and they didn’t know of anything else.

That is, until the day a young half-Galran boy with black and white hair was brought in to be their guard and mentor. Only two years older than the pair, Shiro helped look out for them, but also gave them another friend to play with.

As the three grew up, they became nearly inseparable — save for the times when Shiro had to attend guard training, of course. And during those times, Lance and Allura would talk fondly of him to one another.

“I do hope Shiro can come by.”

“He’s so handsome.”

“Did you see the way he smiled at us yesterday?”

It happened gradually, but Lance was the first to notice how the three seemed to have fallen for each other. He was also the first to act on it.

When their parents and other guards left them alone, they’d all sneak off together, sealing their found bond with fervid kisses and quiet gasps behind their bedroom doors. They knew only of each other, and nothing could break the three apart. Except, perhaps, their royal duties.

Twelve years had passed since Shiro was brought into their lives, and Lance and Allura were finally due to be wed. Unfortunately, the pair weren’t ready to take the next step together. Not without Shiro alongside them.

It was unorthodox, simply unheard of for a guard and two nobles to be wed together, and none of them dared to ask in fear of Shiro’s safety. So they continuously found ways to postpone the wedding. One of them fell “deathly sick,” or the weather wasn’t right that day, or it was too close to another holiday — any and every excuse they could find to put off the inevitable end of their relationship.

Lance and Allura were encroaching their 21st birthdays and nearly ready to give up on postponing, when their lives changed forever. Galran troops attacked the castle.

No one had been expecting it, least of all Shiro, who had been “standing guard” inside the younger nobles’ chambers. When they heard the blasts outside the castle walls, Shiro ran to join the fight, and the King and Queen locked Lance and Allura away in the pod room, hoping they would be safely hidden within the castle as the battle raged on outside.

“I’m going to find Shiro,” Lance announced once the door shut behind them.

“Lance, no,” Allura said, pulling his arm to hold him back from leaving. “You heard my parents, we must stay here. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not letting him die out there. I’ll be back, I promise.”

“Let me go with you, then-”

“No.”

Lance put his hands on the princess’s shoulders, pushing her close to a pod in an effort to make her stay. He touched her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead, smiling as she looked up at him. Letting her know everything would be alright.

“If anything happens to me or Shiro, you’re the only one that can carry on the Altean kingdom.” Her hand raised to cover his, mouth opening in protest, but he cut her off quickly. “Please, Allura. We may have already lost Shiro, I can’t lose you, too.”

“But-”

“Please,” Lance begged, and he looked at her with those big blue eyes of his, willing her to listen with everything he had.

“Alright,” she sighed, starting to move toward the pod, but not before pulling him close and giving him a lasting kiss for safety. “Go,” she whispered against his lips, and he was gone in a blink, out of her sight as he raced to find their third.

Allura waited inside the pod, a hand hovering over the button that would enclose her into the safety of the castle in case an enemy soldier came barging in. She could hear the battle outside, and she began to prepare herself, knowing she may never see her parents again. But as long as Shiro and Lance were with her, she’d be able to carry on.

A moment later, Shiro burst through the door, face bloodied and expression scared as his eyes fell onto the princess.

“Your face-!”

“Where’s Lance?” he asked, running over to her as the ground shook beneath them.

“He went to find you!” she said, wiping his face with her sleeve, careful not to harm the large gash across the bridge of his nose. “You didn’t see him?”

“No,” he grimaced when Allura pressed to harshly. “Which means he’s still out there.”

He turned from Allura, looking towards the door closing them in.

“I’ll bring him back,” he said determinedly.

“Shiro, wait!”

He moved toward the door, ignoring Allura’s cry as he ran. But the ground beneath them shook again, this time knocking Shiro off his feet. As he began to stand back up, a loud cracking sound filled his ears.

He jumped back just in time, right as the front wall crumpled, leaving the entrance blocked and the two trapped inside, and even worse, keeping Lance out.

“No…” Shiro gasped, his eyes growing wide as the realization dawned that Lance was locked outside in the middle of a war. That there was no chance of him surviving on his own. And that they’d never see each other again. “No, no, no.”

He moved to the blocked doorway and hit the fallen debris with his fists, pushing and pulling and grunting in anger, wanting to break free and bring Lance back to them.

“No, come on!” he yelled at the fallen stone, not budging despite his best efforts.

His knees fell to the ground and a few smaller pieces of debris lodged themselves into his skin through his pants, but he didn’t care. He kept tugging at large pieces, shoving with all his might that _something_ would give way and open an exit.

“Shiro, stop it,” he heard Allura’s voice say somewhere behind him.

But he couldn’t stop, he needed to find Lance, bring him back so at least, even if they all perished in that room, they were together.

“Stop!”

This time Allura’s voice broke through his trance. Rang through the room louder than the storm of war raging just out of sight. She was crying. The same realization that had washed over Shiro was plaguing her as well. He felt her pull at his arms, hugging him from behind to cease his movements until he finally gave up and relaxed into her grasp.

“Please,” she said, her voice caught between breaking and trying to remain calm. “You’re bleeding.”

Shiro turned in her arms to look at her, confused. He knew his face was cut, but it wasn’t until he reached a hand up to touch the terrible gash that he saw what she was talking about. His hands were curling in on themselves, bruised and bloodied from tearing at the detritus that locked them inside.

“He’s gone, Allura,” Shiro finally said, the room itself quiet save for the dulled sound of battle leaking in from outside.

“You don’t know that. He could have found somewhere-”

“He doesn’t have a sword.” He shook his head. “It’s ruthless out there. I barely made it here myself. So many people are already dead, there’s no way he could survive out there without help. And there’s no way for us to get out either. We’re all dead.”

Shiro stood and began unbuckling his armor. With his hands so beaten it was an uncomfortable endeavor, but he was at least able to drop his sword and sheath to the ground as he walked away from the debris.

“Not yet we’re not,” Allura replied indignantly. She followed behind Shiro, unhooking his armor from the back and helping to raise it over his head.

Shiro turned as she let the armor fall beside them, furling into her and leaning his head on her shoulder as he began to cry.

He never really cried much. As a royal guard he was taught to control his emotions. But some things were just too much, and the few times he let himself cry, he was with Allura and Lance — the only people he trusted to see his vulnerability. But now it was only Allura, and as the tears fell down his face, the same comfort that came with her arms wrapping around him also made his heart ache for the ones that were missing.

They could hear the growing battle rage on past the walls. The screams and shouting of those being torn down, knowing their family and friends were falling as they stayed trapped inside. They prayed for Lance to find safety. To somehow make it out of this war alive.

“What are we gonna do, ‘Lura?” Shiro finally whispered.

“I don’t know,” the princess responded. “But I do know that if we’re going to survive this, we’ll need you in a condition to fight.”

“What?” Shiro leaned up to look into her watery eyes, her own tears staining her cheeks.

“I had a pod open just in case. It’s ready for you.”

“I’m not getting in there and leaving you alone.”

“If anything happens I’ll pull you out,” she argued. “But you cannot fight with your hands and face so injured.”

“Allura-”

“Please, Shiro. I- I need at least one of us to be okay.”

Her hand came up to caress his face — something she’d learned from Lance — and she brushed her thumb underneath the cut that continued to bleed in an effort to soothe his worries. It worked for just a second, enough for him to smile sadly down at her before pressing a kiss to the palm of her hand.

“Alright. But you have to promise you’ll pull me out at the first sight of any danger.”

She nodded in agreement, and carefully took his hand.

They walked together to the open pod, and Shiro stepped inside as more loud booms filled the air. Allura smiled again, despite the sadness in her eyes. She placed her hands on Shiro’s chest as he got settled into place.

“I promise,” she said. “Everything’s going to be-”

A loud blast burst through the room as the ceiling started to cave in. Allura didn’t have time to react before she was pulled inside with Shiro, their faces the last thing either saw before the pod closed around them and they were thrust into darkness.

 

-

 

Something rolled across the floor. A rock or pebble or some other piece of rubble from the debris in the middle of the room. Something small enough that it went mostly unnoticed, except by the censor that turned on a singular light. And from that light rose a pod out of the floor, where two beings stood frozen in time. Until they weren’t.

Allura fell onto Shiro, gasping as she remembered the ceiling coming down. Except, the ceiling wasn’t falling, and the room around them wasn’t the same as it had been only moments ago.

The two looked at each other, eyebrows furrowed as they both realized something was deeply wrong.

Shiro jumped down first, holding out a hand – that he realized was completely healed – for Allura to grab as she followed him out of the pod and down the few steps into the middle of the room. Although, it wasn’t much of a room anymore. The night sky shone dimly above from where the ceiling used to be. Now it and the outside wall were scattered and crumpled to the ground, covering the entirety of what used to be the floor.

Allura held tightly to Shiro’s hand as he directed her over the fallen pieces of stone and metal. Their hearts broke for what was once their home, now completely ruined. The empty castle laid destroyed and decrepit. Walls laying where there shouldn’t be, decay covering the surface of the rubble, and it finally sunk in that it had been some time since they’d last set foot outside of that pod.

As they moved toward where the door used to be, Shiro saw something from the corner of his eye sticking up from the wreckage. “Wait here,” he told Allura, then quickly – carefully – made his way over to the object. Sure enough, there was his sword, standing proudly from the destruction, unsheathed and only the lower half submerged in the crumpled stone. It took both hands, but he was able to get it loose with little difficulty, and though the sword was dented and dulled from being stuck in the rubble, it still shone brightly in the reflecting moonlight.

Just as he made his way back over to Allura, something flew passed them in the shadows at the top of the fallen remains, just out of sight.

“Who’s there?” Shiro said, holding his sword at the ready in case of an attack. The castle seemed long abandoned, so anyone besides the two of them deemed a threat.

A moment passed. Nothing.

“We know you’re there, you may as well come out,” Allura called, weaponless but nowhere near defenseless.

Another second of silence followed, but then the figure slowly emerged from behind a large fallen wall. It seemed like a person, but their feet weren’t touching the ground, the full-body suit they wore somehow allowing them to hover. But that was all Shiro and Allura could make out, as their company stayed cloaked in the dark shadows left untouched by the moon.

“Who are you?”

Allura’s words must have travelled, because the figure touched down in response. They took a silent step forward, but stopped as Shiro’s sword raised upward.

“ _Who are you_?” Shiro repeated, brandishing his weapon towards the figure threateningly as he held tight to Allura.

There was a sigh, a cracked and broken sound that came from behind the being’s mask.

“Sh-Shiro?” Their voice shook as they finally spoke. “Allura?”

The two in question looked at each other, not expecting to find anyone who would know them. Especially not by name.

“Show yourself,” Allura said firmly, despite the hesitance in her step closer.

A hissing sound like air being released rang through the open room as the figure removed their helmet and dropped it to the ground.

Shiro’s sword lowered, then fell completely from his hand with a loud clatter. The figure stepped into the light, and as the moon’s glow finally illuminated the figure, they saw the crying face of their lost love before them.

It was Lance. He seemed older and more worn than the last time they saw him. But there was no denying that smile.

“Lance?” Shiro breathed. It only felt like a few hours since they’d lost him; the destruction around them had left no room for hope. But the look in Lance’s face told them that his hope had been lost long ago.

“I-It’s been… years…”

“Lance…!” Allura said, her voice foggy with tears for the pain she knew he’d been put in. Her feet took her up the debris before she’d even registered it, climbing her way to reach him, to touch him. To make sure this wasn’t just a terrible dream.

She slipped halfway up, hands coming out to catch her fall, but instead it was Lance holding her up, keeping her from tumbling down the mountain of rubble.

“Hi,” he smiled through his tears.

She didn’t even respond, just tugged him to her chest and squeezed, loud sobs shaking the both of them as they tried to keep their balance.

“We thought we’d lost you,” she cried.

“So did I. I thought I’d never find you. I’ve been searching since the fall of the castle, I thought you’d been lost to the ruin.”

“No, we- we were safe in the pod,” Allura smiled. “The roof caved in and Shiro…”

Her words trailed to a stop as their eyes focused onto the guard, still motionless at the bottom of the wreckage only a few feet away.

“Shiro,” Lance called, trying to pull the man from his stunned silence.

Shiro looked up to the two of them, his heart still breaking in the grey of his eyes.

“Years?” he said quietly.

“Seven, to be exact.”

Shiro shook his head and turned away. “Seven years…” he breathed, unable to grasp the reality of Lance’s situation.

Lance knew the shock of time moving so quickly must have been unfathomable. He could sense Shiro’s fear, his hurt and anger, things Lance himself had had years to process and mourn, hitting him all at once.

“Guess that means I’m the oldest, now,” he joked, testing the waters.

Shiro’s mouth cracked a smile, but he continued looking away, trying to hide the anger he felt at the thought of Lance spending all those years alone. And that they’d missed him grow into the man he was.

“Hey,” a voice beside him pulled him from his thoughts. He turned back to see that Lance had hovered himself and Allura down to meet him and was now standing only a few feet away, arms outstretched. “I’ve waited seven years to find you, and now you’re not even gonna give me a hug?” the brunet smiled.

Shiro released the breath he was holding and moved in, squeezing their found love with all of his strength. It was strange, hugging Lance after he’d grown so much taller in what, to Shiro, was no time at all, but it was still _Lance_. The smell of him, the feel of him beneath Shiro’s touch.

“I’m so sorry,” he said into Lance’s shoulder.

“Don’t be. I’m just glad to have found you again.”

Lance pulled Shiro’s face up to look into his eyes, stare unwavering until Shiro let himself smile. Just looking into those blue eyes Shiro knew that nothing had changed, not really, and just the sight of Lance made Shiro’s heart feel lighter.

He kissed Lance then. A quick press of the lips to ground him, make him fully believe that this was real. That Lance was really with them and that the past few hours he could remember weren’t just a bad dream.

As he pulled away, something caught Shiro’s eye and his hand raised to a scar along Lance’s eyelid. He traced his thumb over the uneven skin.

“I see that you have one, too.”

“I got it the day of the fall,” Lance smiled gently, his own hand coming to rest on top of Shiro’s. “A sword grazed past me and barely missed. I nearly didn’t make it out alive.”

“How did you?”

“Ran until I couldn’t. I found a fallen soldier and disguised myself in his uniform until I could find an escape pod. I wanted to find you again, but the castle was already in ruins and I wasn’t able to make it through the wreckage. I promised myself I’d come back for you. Even long after the battle ended. I’ve searched through the area for years, uncovering as much as I could, but it’s like a graveyard out here. My team said I was crazy for always coming back, but I wouldn’t give up. Not until I-” the words unspoken fell on his lips. They all knew he expected to find their bodies. “I’m so glad I didn’t.”

“I’m glad you didn’t either,” Allura said. She hugged his arm, unwilling to let go now that they were reunited.

Lance smiled, the crease of his skin showing his age. It was something to get used to, but now that they were together again, there would be all the time in the world to get reacquainted.

“You mentioned a team?” Shiro asked, wanting to get started as soon as possible. 

“The people that found my escape pod. They’re waiting back on the ship. I’m sure they’d love to meet you,” Lance explained. He offered a hand for Shiro and Allura both to take, one on each arm as the three of them scaled the ruins through the former wall.

Immediately after they emerged, a small ship landed in front of them only yards away. Lance’s hands pulled tighter, urging Allura and Shiro faster, excited for his two worlds to finally collide. As they neared, a ramp carrying three figures lowered from the side of the ship, and as soon as it touched down, the largest of the three figures barreled forward.

“Lance!” the figure called. “Is it…?”

“Yeah, Hunk. It’s really them,” Lance beamed. He hugged the bigger man – Hunk – and gestured back to the two standing behind him. “Shiro and Allura.”

“Wow,” the smallest of the three said, unnoticed as she and the other had walked up. 

“My loves–” Lance held his hands out for Allura and Shiro which they gladly took. The smile on his face never left as he brought them closer, letting the most important people in his life meet the ones that had saved him all those years ago.

“This is Hunk, he’s Balmeran and just about the best chef I've ever met… Except for when he tries to feed us Balmeran food,” Lance said, pointing to the big one.

“Hey!” Hunk sassed, feigning offense.

Lance laughed, then turned towards the shortest. “This one is Pidge,” he said. “She’s Olkari and she’s so smart I can barely understand her half the time.”

“You can barely understand anything anyway,” the third grumbled.

“Ah, yes. And that’s Keith,” Lance continued, a slight annoyance in his voice. “He’s half-Galran like you, Shiro.”

“Nice to meet you. All of you,” Shiro said, shaking each of their hands.

“Thank you for keeping our Lance safe,” Allura added.

“I don’t know if safe is the right word,” Keith said, sending a look that told them he knew all too well of Lance’s ability to throw himself into danger, “but you’re welcome for not getting rid of him.”

“Even though we wanted to half the time,” Pidge teased.

Shiro cut in before Lance could retort. “Without you, we never would have been reunited. So, thank you.”

He laced Lance’s fingers with his own and held Allura tight to his side. They were together again and nothing would ever tear them from each other again.

“I love you,” Lance said. His hand rose to Shiro’s face, kissing the scar across his cheeks. Allura was next, and he kissed her forehead, as he had so many times before. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Lance,” Allura said. “We both do.”

Lance rested his head on hers, the feeling of her skin on his once more overwhelmingly present, reminding him that this was real, it was happening, and when Shiro lent his head to complete the trinity, time stood still, like the past seven years had never happened, and they were back in his room, safe, happy, and carefree.

“Ahem,” a voice said behind them.

Lance’s crew was standing by awkwardly, trying their best to be supportive of the reunion, but still seeming uncomfortable at the display of affection.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Pidge said, “but if we leave now, we can make good time.”

“Of course! Let’s get to it, then,” Lance smiled.

He led Shiro and Allura onto the small vessel, where everyone took their positions to get the ship off the ground again. Lance settled beside them on a makeshift passenger seat as the ship rose into the air and left the last bit of their home that remained.

“What did she mean, ‘make good time?’” Shiro asked Lance.

“Have you ever heard of a thing called ‘Voltron?’”

“My father built it, but I’ve never actually seen it,” Allura said.

“We’ve been looking for it, my crew and I, and we’re going to find it and end this war with the Galran Empire once and for all.”

He took both of their hands in his own. Time may have changed his outward appearance, but his feelings at just the touch of their skin had never gone, and instead increased now that they could be a family again. They were ready to take the next step, to avenge their fallen kingdom and stop that same destruction from happening to anyone else.

“And now,” Lance said, squeezing their hands excitedly, “we can do it together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! And if you did, please leave me a comment letting me know! <3 Thank you!


End file.
